Back by popular demand! Join GUFC in Statesboro on June 26th, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for its seminar "Trees, Urban Design, and Stormwater Management." This session will be held in the Nesmith-Lane Continuing Education Building at Georgia Southern University, and is co-sponsored by the Georgia Southern Botanical Garden. Registration is $30 for members and $40 for nonmembers. Lunch is included and CEUs will be available. For more information and to register, click on the headline and download the registration form.

The "Survey of Community Tree Regulation in Georgia" was conducted by the Georgia Urban Forest Council to learn more about tree ordinances and tree-related regulations in Georgia. The project includes not only the survey but also the review of tree ordinances across the State. The "Georgia’s Tree Ordinances" report summarizes the results of the survey and tree ordinance review. The full report and appendices, with extensive survey and tree ordinance data and copies of all the tree ordinances reviewed are included on a "Georgia’s Tree Ordinances" CD. To order your copy of the CD, click on the headline.

In this issue: GUFC Second Quarterly Program on "Cisterns, Irrigation, and Sustainable Landscape Practices," "Tree Support Systems," "The Georgia i-Tree Pilot Project" and more. Click here to download your copy.

The Georgia Urban Forest Council, the Georgia Forestry Commission, and other partners have met in a series of strategic planning meetings over the summer to write a new Five Year Plan for Georgia's Urban and Community Forest, covering the upcoming years 2007-2011. This planning process focused on where we have been, what was accomplished in the past five years, and what new issues need to be addressed. To read the Five Year Plan,click on "About GUFC" at the top of the home page, and then click "Five Year Plan."

GUFC has published four editions of SHADE, a custom magazine that promotes the benefits of urban trees. The most recent issue, "Connect...and Collaborate," promotes strong alliances among urban tree organizations. Issue 3, "Weathering the Storms," shares with readers insights on weathering natural, political, growth, and financial storms of the urban forest. Issue 2, "Trees Make Dollars and Sense," highlights the economic benefits of trees in business districts, around homes and in developments. The 2005 edition, "Healthy Trees, Healthy Cities, Healthy People," features articles linking urban trees to public health benefits. Click on the headline to download a file of the 2008 edition.

GUFC is pleased to announce its new “Tree Legacy” Grant Program with funding from the Home Depot Foundation. The purpose of the new Tree Legacy Grant Program is to provide funding to Georgia communities for urban forestry projects involving tree planting to achieve environmental goals. In order to maximize the impact of the grant dollars and create model projects across the state, GUFC is targeting a different region of the state each year. The 2007-2008 Tree Legacy Grant Program will provide grant assistance to four communities and organizations in Southwest Georgia: City of Americus, Trees Columbus, City of Pelham, and City of Tifton. Click on the headline for more details.

The Georgia Forestry Commission is seeking applications and nominations for the position of Director of the Georgia Forestry Commission. The Director is responsible for supervision of approximately 700 Commission personnel with an annual operating budget of more than $50 million. In addition, the Director serves as administrative officer and executive secretary of the Commission and represents the Commission in other forestry related organizations. Click on the headline for more information.

GUFC members are a diverse group of people brought together by their common interest in healthy, thriving urban forests. The Council informs communities on urban forestry issues, provides educational programs (most of which offer CEUs), assists with networking and resource opportunities, and keeps members informed of new urban forestry research. Download the GUFC brochure and membership application in Adobe PDF format.